Movable platform for conveying goods chiefly in ship&#39;s holds



y 1932' J. 6. DE ANDIA YRARRAZAVAL 8 MOVABLE PLATFORM FOR CONVEYING GOODS CHIEFLY I N SHIPS HOLDS Filed Dec. 26. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 26, 1932. J. cs. DE ANDlA YRARRAZAVAL 1,863,563

MOVABLE PLATFORM FOR CONVEYING GQODS CHIEFLY IN SHIPS HOLDS Filed Dec. 26, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 26, 1932 I 1,868,568

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JEAN GONZALEZ DE ANDIA YRARRAZAVAL, OF PARIS, FRANCE MOVABLE PLATFORM FOR CONVEYING GOODS CHIEFLY IN SHIPS HOLDS Application filed December 26, 1930, Serial No. 504,878, and in France December 26, 1929.

The handling of goods in small spaces such stituted by a plate 1 provided with casters 2 as ships holds shows considerable difliculformed by balls allowing the beams to roll in ties. Once an article is introduced into a all directions. To this plate, are secured part of the hold determined by the position U-irons 3 leaving between each other a space 5 of the hatch, it is necessary to make it slide wherein are disposed one or more rollers 94 65 over the floor of the hold into its final posithe periphery of which projects above the tion. This operationis generally provided upper horizontal flanges of the U-irons 3. by means of levers and of rollers. It has The case or other article M to be conveyed is been proposed, it is true,to use rolling platlaid on these rollers. The ends of the beams forms, but the use of such platforms recarry securing means 5 for hooking ropes or 60 quires their removal after the article is laid the like adapted for handling the case M and in its final position. This can be done only securing it to the platform. The two outer by raising the article and by rolling the beams A and C carry on their outside reempty platform ver th floor of th hold, movable stops 6 which rise in their operative which means a considerable space is necesposit-ion above the level of the platform and or sary. are adapted to bear against the sides of the Now, according to my invention, I remove case M. these drawbacks by using a platform which The beams A and G are connected together forms no longer a rigid unit, but is constiateach end through a cable 7 which may be terconnected solely by cables which are beams through the agency of a shaft 8 Wound or unwound in order to move the (hidden by the I'Ollfil' 0n the left hand beam beams nearer one another or more apart. The f he plan View). This shaft carries at its beams are mounted for easy displacement end asquare projection to which a crank may over the floor of the hold, for instance be adapted. through the agency of casters. They carry The outer beams A and G are connected also preferably throughout their length, each with the intermediary beam B substanroll r u po ting th arti l to b ha dl d, tially parallel to them through cables 9 each which is secured by means of suitable ropes secured through an eye 11 to the beams A or to parts carried by the beams. C and adapted to be simultaneously wound so The outwardly disposed beams show, on or unwound through the agency of a shaft 12 their outside and throughout their length, provided With a crank 13 and carried by the removable abutments adapted to bear against beam B, a ratchet and catch device 1e being the article to be handled. adapted to holdthe shaft in any desired po- Platforms of this type may be constituted Sition. 85 by two beams only. However a platform The operation of the platform is as folformed of three beams or more is of greater lows: advantage owing to its greater ease of use and Supposing it is first desired to secure the to the arrangements afforded for removing case M on the platform, the beams are first it after the article has been set in place. placed approximately 011 the floor. The case 90 Ihave described hereinbelow by way of is then laid on them and the stops raised. example and shown in accompanying draw- After this, the crank 13 is actuated so as to ings a form of execution of my invention. Wind the cable 9 whereby the stops 6 bear Figure 1 is a side-view thereof. somewhat strongly against the sides of the Figure 2is a plan view. case. This provides a rigid unit (Figures 95 Figures 3, 4, 5, 6 are end views illustrating 1, 2, 3) constituted by the platform and the the different steps used for clearing a threecase which is moreover held on to the platbeam platform. I form by means of ropes hooked over-parts 5. The platform shown comprises three The platform is then slid to the place where beams A, B, C. Each of these beams is conthe case is to be deposited. It is then re- 5100 tuted byaplurality of independent beams in- Wo nd 0r unwound from each of the tWO i for instance on the side of beam A.

' beam A has moved beyond the centre of gravas a winch for drawing towards it (Figure 6) the beams A and B through the agency of the moved by the following series of operations The removable stop 6 is first removed or collapsed while that of the beam C is allowed to remain in place. The cable 7 is then wound round the shaft 8 of thebeam C. This moves the beam A towardsthe beainB and pushes the-latter towards C. "When the at difl'erent points of the length of the outer 1 beamsabove the upper surface of said beams,

windable flexible means adapted to bring the beams nearer to one another and allowing their spacing while remaining substantially parallel to each other.

In testimony whereof I afii'x my signature.

1 JEAN GONZALEZ de'ANDlA YRARRAZAVAL.

ity of the case M, the latter tips over (Fig- I V urea), V .i At this moment, the cable 7 is unwound again, whereby it is possible (Figure 5) to draw the beam C outwardly at-a certain distance awayfroin the beams AandB. The I beam C isthen held down inplaceand is used cable 7 awayi fromthe case Mwhich rests then on the ground.

The device may a simplified b beat n the, intermediary beam B. I The two beamsA and C would then be connected exclusively through the cables 7 and it wouldbe necessary to provide on the shafts 8 of the beams A and C means-forpreventing the cables from unwinding after the cases have been secured to the beams. V ',WhatIclaimis:

1. Agoods conveyor comprising. a'iplurality ofjbeam's, means allowing their rolling in all directions over a floor, outer st'ops pro- I vided 'at difi'erentpoints of the length of the outer beams above the upper surface of said beams,"windable flexible means adapted to I bring thebeams nearer to one another 'andallowing their spacing hile remaining substantiallyparallel to each other.

2. Aqgoods conveyor comprising v.a plu- V,

rality of-'beams, means allowing their rolling in 'alludirections'over a floor, outer stops pro- ;vided at different points of the'lengthjofthe outer beams, means for setting said stopswh'en upper surface of said beams, cables connectdesired in their operative positionabove the ing the outer ends ofthe outer beams and I means carried by said outer beams for windingand unwinding the cables.

3. A goods conveyor comprising a plural;

ity of beams, means allowing their rolling in all dire'ctionsover' a floor, outer stops provided at difierent points of the length of the :outer beams above the upper surface; of said beams, yielding means adapted. to bring the beams V nearer to one another and allowing their SPZLOIDg'WlHlG- remaining substantiallyiparallel to each other, cables connectingeach two ad3acent beams and means carried by one of said beams for winding and unwinding the corresponding cable. a

- -4. A goods conveyorcomprising;a plural- V ity of beams, casters on the underside of the beams, rollers 0n the upper sides of the beams,

the axis-of each Iroller being directed longi- ,tudinally of the beams, outer stop's provided 

